Overview

When the guy he’s crushing on almost dies,
Matt has to step up.
He didn’t six years ago — and he’s been haunted by it ever since.
He comes up with a plan — reckless, ridiculous, brilliantly stupid.
He just needs help pulling it off.
So he calls in people he can trust:
One drag queen, two lesbians, and a pack of queer boys.
There’s a guy to save and a score to settle.
This is a love story — but it isn’t a romance.
It’s a coming-out story — but it’s messier than that.
It’s about the scars we inherit, the ones we inflict, and the ones we finally learn not to obey.
If you’ve ever clawed your way out of shame, you’ll recognize the terrain.
Welcome to G2e Realism — Gay, Gritty, explicitly real.

A darkly funny LGBTQ+ coming-of-age novel set in 1990s Oklahoma. Perfect for readers who love queer fiction with emotional depth, messy friendships, drag queens, chosen-family dynamics, and stories about coming out under pressure.
Themes include identity, shame, trauma recovery, complicated first love, and learning how to rescue yourself.
A great fit for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and gritty queer lit with heart, humor, and heat.

384 pages